Kingpin Ananlytical Essay
Introduction: Below I will present an argument that that shows the computer hacking by Max Butler, the main character, demonstrated in the book Kingpin by Kevin Poulsen, was unethical in nature. Max’s actions illustrate computer crime defined as, “any incident involving an intentional act where a victim suffered or could have suffered a loss, and a perpetrator made or could have made a gain and is associated with computers” (Parker, 1976). Max utilized his hacking skills in a malicious manner to victimize individuals by taking their personal property.
Supporting Bullets:
• Max used his hacking knowledge by entering stolen PINs into bank ATMs and withdrawing the money. “He’d enter the PIN, the withdrawal amount and …the ATM spat out cash like a slot machine” (Poulsen, p. 104). His behavior is unethical because he intentionally used individual’s bank PIN numbers to victimize bank account holders by stealing their property.
• Max finds any ‘loop-holes’ in websites and uses unauthorized access to gain data. Hackers utilized carefully planned strategies to commit their crime such as, “Take advantage of the enemy’s unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots” (Poulsen, p. 159). Max obtained unauthorized access to vulnerable websites, and used this as an advantage to easily increase his gain in stolen information.
• Max committed the crimes of seizing unauthorized access to data in websites, and using that data that he acquired in a manner to steal money. “He would be stealing numbers in a system, not dollars in someone’s pocket” (Poulsen, p. 80). Max took advantage of the computer as an accessory to his crime, to make it easier to steal more data for his personal benefit.
Conclusion: In conclusion, Max Butler demonstrated the behavior of an unethical hacker. Through gaining access to websites, Max used information that was unauthorized for his use and made it into a profit for him. He seized access to websites where he would then
Supporting Bullets:
• Max used his hacking knowledge by entering stolen PINs into bank ATMs and withdrawing the money. “He’d enter the PIN, the withdrawal amount and …the ATM spat out cash like a slot machine” (Poulsen, p. 104). His behavior is unethical because he intentionally used individual’s bank PIN numbers to victimize bank account holders by stealing their property.
• Max finds any ‘loop-holes’ in websites and uses unauthorized access to gain data. Hackers utilized carefully planned strategies to commit their crime such as, “Take advantage of the enemy’s unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots” (Poulsen, p. 159). Max obtained unauthorized access to vulnerable websites, and used this as an advantage to easily increase his gain in stolen information.
• Max committed the crimes of seizing unauthorized access to data in websites, and using that data that he acquired in a manner to steal money. “He would be stealing numbers in a system, not dollars in someone’s pocket” (Poulsen, p. 80). Max took advantage of the computer as an accessory to his crime, to make it easier to steal more data for his personal benefit.
Conclusion: In conclusion, Max Butler demonstrated the behavior of an unethical hacker. Through gaining access to websites, Max used information that was unauthorized for his use and made it into a profit for him. He seized access to websites where he would then